Protective shell construction and method

ABSTRACT

A shell for protective equipment having a rigid outer layer defining an outer surface suitable for directly receiving a surface finish thereon, an inner layer having a higher impact resistance than the outer layer, and an intermediate layer sandwiched between the outer and inner layers, the intermediate layer forming a bond with the inner and outer layers. Also, there is provided a protective element comprising rigid inner and outer layer, and an intermediate layer sandwiched between the outer and inner layers, the intermediate later absorbing part of an energy produced upon an impact on the outer surface of the outer layer. Further, there is provided a method of manufacturing a shell for protective equipment.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to safety equipment, more particularly to sports helmets and masks.

BACKGROUND ART

Helmets having a shell completely made of fiber reinforced materials, including for example carbon fibers or fiberglass, are known and generally provide high impact resistance. However these materials generally have a coarse surface finish, and as such at least the outer surface of the shell needs to be sanded or otherwise treated to smooth the coarse surface before a finish such as paint can be applied thereto, thus increasing the time and cost involved in the manufacture of the helmet.

Helmets having a shell completely made of thermoplastic material are also known and generally provide an aesthetic surface necessitating little or no preparation before application of a surface finish such as paint. However, since thermoplastic materials have a generally lower impact resistance than the fiber reinforced materials described above, the thickness of thermoplastic helmets has to be significantly increased to obtain an equivalent resistance, thus increasing the bulk and weight of the helmet.

As such, it is known, for example through U.S. Pat. No. 6,468,644 issued Oct. 22, 2002 to Hong et al. and incorporated herein by reference, to provide a helmet having an outer layer of thermoplastic material in contact with an inner layer of fiber reinforced plastic. However, adhesion between the inner and outer layers is generally not optimal and can be improved.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide an improved protective shell construction which can be used for example in hockey helmets and hockey goaltender's masks.

Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a shell for protective equipment comprising a rigid outer layer defining an outer surface suitable for directly receiving a surface finish thereon, an inner layer having a higher impact resistance than the outer layer, and an intermediate layer sandwiched between the outer and inner layers, the intermediate layer forming a bond with the inner and outer layers.

In a particular embodiment, the shell is a goaltender's mask shell. Other applications for the shell include, but are not limited to, other portions of a goaltender's helmet such as a back plate, as well as other types of hockey helmets, baseball helmets and lacrosse helmets.

Also in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a protective element comprising a rigid outer layer defining an aesthetic outer surface, an inner layer having a higher impact resistance than the outer layer, and an intermediate layer sandwiched between the outer and inner layers, the intermediate layer absorbing part of an energy produced upon an impact on the outer surface of the outer layer.

Further in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a shell for protective equipment, the method comprising preforming a rigid outer layer to a desired shape of the shell, bonding an intermediate layer to the outer layer, the intermediate layer including a material adapted to bond with a selected curable material, placing the outer and intermediate layers in a female support having the desired shape of the shell, the outer layer lying against the support, placing a layer of fiber material over the intermediate layer, providing the selected curable material in contact with the layer of fiber material, and applying pressure on the curable material and layer of fiber material to flow the curable material within the layer of fiber material, cure the curable material and bond the curable material with the intermediate layer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, showing by way of illustration a particular embodiment of the present invention and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shell of a goaltender's mask in accordance with a particular embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a section of the shell of FIG. 1 combined with a padding layer;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a step of the manufacture of the shell of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of another step of the manufacture of the shell of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a further step of the manufacture of the shell of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIG. 1, a hockey goaltender's mask shell is generally shown at 10. The mask shell 10 is usually connected to a padding layer 12 (see FIG. 2) extending along at least portions of an inner surface 14 of the shell 10. The shell 10 defines the front part of a goaltender's helmet (not shown). A back plate (not shown) covering the back of the head of the wearer is usually elastically connected to the shell 10 to complete the helmet.

The shell 10 includes a top portion 16 formed to cover a top and front part of the head of the wearer, a bottom portion 18 adapted to cover the jaw and throat of the wearer, and side portions 20 interconnecting the top and bottom portions 16, 18. The top, bottom and side portions 16, 18, 20 frame a window 22, which is usually covered by a wire cage (not shown) such as to protect the face of the wearer while minimizing visual obstruction. A plurality of holes 24 may be defined through the shell 10 to provide ventilation and/or to receive various attachment members such as straps therein. Such a goaltender's helmet configuration is known and will not be further detailed therein.

Although the present invention will be described herein as being applied to a goaltender's mask, it is understood that the described shell structure can be applied to any other adequate type of protective element including, but not limited to, a back plate of a goaltender's helmet, other types of hockey helmets, baseball helmets and lacrosse helmets.

Referring to FIG. 2, the shell 10 according to a particular embodiment of the present invention is composed of an outer layer 26, an intermediate layer 28 and an inner layer 30, which are in superposed relationship. In the parts of the mask where the padding layer 12 is present, the padding layer 12 is connected along the inner surface 14 of the shell 10 defined by the inner layer 30.

The outer layer 26 is resistant and defines an aesthetic outer surface 32 of the shell 10, i.e. a surface suitable for application of a surface finish thereon such as paint, ink, varnish, etc. without substantial preparation of the surface, and preferably with no preparation of the surface at all. In a particular embodiment, the outer layer 26 is made of a suitable rigid thermoplastic such as ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). Other suitable rigid thermoplastics include, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene and polycarbonate. As such, the outer surface 32 of the shell 10, defined by the outer layer 26, necessitates no or minimal preparation before the application of, for example, team colors and/or a team logo.

The inner layer 30 has a higher impact resistance than the outer layer 26 and is made of a high resistance material such as, for example, a composite including carbon fibers in an epoxy resin matrix. Alternate materials for the inner layer 30 include fiber reinforced plastics or composites including polyethylene fibers, vinylon fibers, fiberglass, carbon fibers, aramid fibers, basalt fibers, and combinations thereof.

The intermediate layer 28 is substantially thinner than the outer and inner layers 26, 30 but still forms a distinct layer of the shell 10. In a particular embodiment, the intermediate layer 28 is a film a few millimeters thick. The intermediate layer 28 is made of a material adapted to form a chemical bond with the resin of the inner layer 30 such as to provide an improved adhesion between the outer and inner layers 26, 30, i.e. an increased bond strength when compared to the adhesion of the outer and inner layers 26, 30 in direct contact with one another. Appropriate materials for the intermediate layer 28 include polymer films such as polyamide copolymers or urethane blend copolymers, which form a bond with epoxy resin contained in a particular embodiment of the inner layer 30.

In a particular embodiment, the intermediate layer 28 has a Young's modulus which is substantially lower than that of the outer and inner layers 26, 30, i.e. the intermediate layer 28 is substantially more flexible than the outer and inner layers 26, 30. Because of this flexibility, the intermediate layer 28 is deformed upon an impact received on the outer surface 32 of the outer layer 26, and as such acts as a dampener absorbing part of the impact energy through that deformation.

The outer layer 26, intermediate layer 28 and inner layer 30 are assembled according to the following. First, the outer layer 26 and intermediate layer 28 are adhered to each other and preformed to define the shape of the shell 10. Referring to FIG. 3, in a particular embodiment, this is done by depositing a flat sheet of thermoformable material 26′ for forming the outer layer 26 over a female vacuum mold 50 having the shape of the shell 10, then depositing a flat film 28′ for forming the intermediate layer 28 over the outer layer sheet 26′. Both sheets 26′, 28′ are heated until softened and shaped in the mold 50 through a vacuum molding process. Upon cooling, the formed sheets 26′, 28′ define the outer and intermediate layers 26, 28 adhered to one another.

Alternately, the outer layer 26 can be preformed alone, and the copolymer of the intermediate layer 28 can be mixed with a solvent and pulverized on the preformed outer layer 26 to form the intermediate layer 28 adhered thereto.

Referring to FIG. 4, the assembled outer and intermediate layers 26, 28 are deposited in a female support 34 having the desired shape of the shell 10, with the outer layer 26 in contact with the support 34. The support 34 does not require a precise, mold-like surface finisk as the outer layer 26 is already rigid and self-supporting. Rather, the support 34 prevents the outer layer 26 from being deformed by the forming process of the inner layer 30 described below.

In a particular embodiment, the inner layer 30 includes a fiber mat 36 which is malleable, and is also preshaped prior to assembly with the outer and intermediate layers 26, 28, for example through vacuum molding. With the outer and intermediate layers 26, 28 in the support 34, the preshaped fiber mat 36 is placed over the intermediate layer 28.

Alternately, the pre-shaping of the fiber mat 36 can be omitted and the fibers can be shaped directly through application over the intermediate layer 28 if the fiber mat 36 is flexible enough. The fiber mat 36 can be replaced by fibers having any other adequate configuration, including several plies of fiber material with or without resin therebetween.

Resin 37 or another adequate curable material is poured over the fiber mat 36, the adequate quantity of resin 37 being determined through experimentation. Alternately, one or several plies of composite material in prepreg form, i.e. already including resin which is minimally cured, can replace the fiber mat 35, provided the prepreg is flexible enough to conform to the shape of the shell 10; the separate application of the resin 37 is omitted since resin is already provided in the prepreg.

Referring to FIG. 5, a cover 35 is installed over the support 34, the cover 35 including an inflatable bladder 38, such as a silicon bladder, which has a shape complementary to that of the support 34. The bladder 38 is progressively filled such as to apply pressure on the fiber mat 36 and resin 37 against the outer and intermediate layers 26, 28. The pressure allows the resin 37 to flow within the entirety of the fiber mat 36 and down through the fibers to the intermediate layer 28. The pressure also causes the resin 37 to cure. The resin 37 reacts with the intermediate layer 28 and forms a bond therewith, thus attaching the intermediate layer 28 and inner layer 30 together.

In a particular embodiment, the bladder 38 is filled with hot water at a pressure of approximately 15 psi. The heat of the bladder 38 accelerates the cure of the resin 37, thus reducing manufacturing time. Alternately, the bladder 38 can be filled with air or with any other appropriate fluid. With resins that are curable under pressure at room temperature, such as epoxy resin, the bladder 38 can be filled with a room temperature fluid. With resins necessitating heat to cure, the bladder 38 is filled with a hot fluid.

When the resin 37 is cured, the cover 35 is opened, the assembled layers 26, 28, 30 are removed from the support 34 and the excess material is trimmed. The various holes 24 and the window 22 (shown in FIG. 1) are cut to obtain the finalized shell 10. An appropriate surface finish, such as paint, varnish, etc., is applied over the outer layer 26 to obtain a desired look.

The embodiments of the invention described above are intended to be exemplary. Those skilled in the art will therefore appreciate that the foregoing description is illustrative only, and that various alternate configurations and modifications can be devised without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternate configurations, modifications and variances which fall within the scope of the appended claims. 

1. A shell for protective equipment comprising: a rigid outer layer defining an outer surface suitable for directly receiving a surface finish thereon; an inner layer having a higher impact resistance than the outer layer; and an intermediate layer sandwiched between the outer and inner layers, the intermediate layer forming a bond with the inner and outer layers.
 2. The protective shell according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer is more flexible than the inner and outer layers.
 3. The protective shell according to claim 1, wherein the outer layer includes a thermoplastic material.
 4. The protective shell according to claim 1, wherein the inner layer includes at least one of polyethylene fibers, vinylon fibers, fiberglass, carbon fibers, aramid fibers and basalt fibers.
 5. The protective shell according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer includes a polymer film.
 6. The protective shell according to claim 5, wherein the polymer film is one of a polyamide copolymer and an urethane blend copolymer.
 7. A protective element comprising: a rigid outer layer defining an aesthetic outer surface; an inner layer having a higher impact resistance than the outer layer; and an intermediate layer sandwiched between the outer and inner layers, the intermediate layer absorbing part of an energy produced upon an impact on the outer surface of the outer layer.
 8. The protective element according to claim 7, further comprising a padding layer connected to at least portions the inner layer opposite of the intermediate layer.
 9. The protective element according to claim 7, wherein the outer layer includes a thermoplastic material.
 10. The protective element according to claim 7, wherein the inner layer includes at least one of polyethylene fibers, vinylon fibers, fiberglass, carbon fibers, aramid fibers and basalt fibers.
 11. The protective shell according to claim 7, wherein the intermediate layer includes a polymer film.
 12. The protective shell according to claim 11, wherein the polymer film is one of a polyamide copolymer and an urethane blend copolymer.
 13. The protective shell according to claim 7 wherein the intermediate layer forms a bond with the inner and outer layers.
 14. A method of manufacturing a shell for protective equipment, the method comprising: preforming a rigid outer layer to a desired shape of the shell; bonding an intermediate layer to the outer layer, the outer layer including a material adapted to bond with a selected curable material; placing the outer and intermediate layers in a female support having the desired shape of the shell, the outer layer lying against the support; placing a layer of fiber material over the intermediate layer; providing the selected curable material in contact with the layer of fiber material; and applying pressure on the curable material and layer of fiber material to flow the curable material within the layer of fiber material, cure the curable material and bond the curable material with the intermediate layer.
 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the steps of preforming the rigid outer layer and bonding the intermediate layer to the outer layer are performed simultaneously.
 16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the steps of preforming the rigid outer layer and bonding the intermediate layer are performed through a vacuum molding process.
 17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the layer of fiber material is preformed before being applied over the intermediate layer.
 18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the pressure is applied by inflating a bladder complementary to the support to press the bladder against the layer of fiber material.
 19. The method according to claim 14, further comprising heating the curable material while applying the pressure.
 20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the pressure and heat are applied by inflating a bladder complementary to the support to press the bladder against the layer of fiber material, the bladder being inflated by flowing pressurized hot water therein. 